Wind turbine blades are regularly provided with bulkheads at the root end of the blades. Such bulkheads are used to substantially seal the root end of the blade, and in some cases to provide a work platform at the blade root end.
The manufacturing and installation of such bulkheads can present issues during wind turbine blade manufacture, due to the transfer of stresses and strains between the walls of the wind turbine blade and the rigid bulkhead, which can result in the formation of fractures in the connection between the blade walls and the bulkhead.
EP2235364 discloses the use of a flexible flange to connect the rigid bulkhead to the internal blade walls, such that the flange acts to take up relative movement between the bulkhead and the blade walls and prevent the transferral of significant forces. However, such a system requires that an adequate sealing is provided between the flange and the blade walls and bulkhead. In addition, and repair or replacement of the flange or bulkhead requires a relatively significant service operation, as the entire blade may need to be removed from a wind turbine installation for access to the flange and bulkhead.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bulkhead solution for a wind turbine blade which allows for relatively flexible installation and use, and furthermore provides for relatively easy serviceability.